Former owner of Peanut the squirrel detained by ICE

Daniela Bittner, who co-owned Peanut the squirrel with her husband, Mark Longo, was arrested by immigration officers in mid-October at a small airport near New York's border with Pennsylvania, according to an Associated Press report carried by NBC New York. She is facing possible deportation to Germany. Longo says she has been moved through several immigration lockups and is now housed in Texas.

The Department of Homeland Security said Bittner was arrested because she "chose to overstay her welcome in defiance of our nation's laws." Longo, who described conditions in the lockups as "deplorable," blames an immigration paperwork mix-up. He told the AP he and Bittner made a mistake on one of her immigration forms and did not catch it while dealing with the fallout over Peanut.

Peanut, a once-orphaned squirrel, became a social media star. State officials received multiple complaints that the couple were illegally keeping wild animals, including the squirrel and a raccoon, in their home. During one inspection, Peanut bit a wildlife biologist's gloved thumb and was euthanized so he could be tested for rabies. That was about two years ago. Republicans, including JD Vance, criticized the state's response at the time.

Longo said local officials have been looking into his wife's case and that he has spoken about it with UFC chief Dana White. He said the animal sanctuary he and his wife run will have to close if she is deported.